Chapter 8:
STORING, MOVING, AND TRANSFERRING RECORDS

Records with short retention periods are usually placed in
temporary storage areas prior to disposal, while records with
longer retention periods are placed in long-term storage areas.
Records that need to be stored for a long time, including records
that have permanent retention periods and records with historic
value, may be moved to the back of an office, or even transferred
into a storage facility away from the office. Inactive records in
West Virginia are often stored in hallways, closets, basements and
attics, as well as more "exotic" spaces. A great deal of creativity
has turned garages, tool sheds, county jails and local bank vaults
into records storage areas.

Usually, the decision is made to move records to storage when
the filing cabinets in the active office areas are full. After the
closets or back rooms or other, usually inhospitable areas are
full, the decision is made to find very remote inactive storage for
the records. These areas tend to be attics or basements or the
like, and the records often share the space with vermin or rodents.
Storage sites should be chosen that adequately preserve the records
and spare records from potential disasters, including leaks, fires,
theft, and destruction by pests and animals. Those Records Officers
who can afford it sometimes store their permanent records in a
commercial storage facility. Those records with historic and
research value may be transferable to the State Archives. In any
situation where records with long retention periods are at stake,
special storage spaces and special precautionary measures to insure
their preservation should be taken. The staff at State Archives can
consult with public offices to be sure the best decision for the
safety and security of the records is made.

Storing records in your office rather than an off-site
location ensures that records are kept near their users and
enhances record accessibility when they are well organized. It may
also spare some of the financial burdens that might result from
storage in a commercial off-site facility. The unfortunate
temptation is to stuff unsorted records into neglected spaces that
lack protection from natural disasters - and to throw away large
quantities of records without properly assessing their legal and
research value or following legal procedures for
destruction.

A well-designed in-house records storage system
will:

Remove inactive records to protected storage locations in the
building, away from central areas of the office

Assure fast and easy retrieval of stored records by creating
an organized retrieval system

Ensure that the records are not subject to access by
unauthorized personnel

Facilitate the timely disposition of records, according to
approved retention schedules

The space chosen must have heating and air-conditioning
(especially for permanent records or records in other formats other
than paper) providing an ambient temperature range between 65-70
degrees F and humidity range of 50 to 55 percent.

A storage area central to its users is best. If necessary,
several storage areas may be designated. Active records that are
commonly accessed should be positioned in the central location;
inactive records should be stored in places that are not expensive
to maintain and which are somewhat removed from locations of daily
business activities.

Receiving and removing records from the storage area should be
easy to do. If records are stacked on the floor of a closet or
stuffed beneath a table, they may be harder to find, update or
remove quickly. It may also make it harder to keep track of which
records are due for disposal. Worst of all, records stored in a
haphazard way are less likely to be accessed, even when needed,
because finding them is "too much trouble," and tends to be an
unpleasant process.

The records storage area should have fire suppression
equipment. Sprinklers are best, but if not those, then the area
should have smoke detectors and fully charged fire extinguishers.
Local fire and safety specialists can be helpful in evaluating the
area. Water damaged records usually can be restored; burned records
are lost forever. Records should not be stored on the floor but
rather on shelves at least three inches above the floor and at
least three inches from ceiling and sprinklers, if present.

Access to the area should be limited to the personnel in whose
office the records originated. If space is shared, it should be
separated with access restricted to appropriate office staff. The
storage area should not be used for the storage of any other
materials.

Storage areas exposed to smoke, dust or chemical fumes produced
by paints, chemicals, or copying devices should not be used for
records storage.

Attics, basements, garages and warehouses are rarely acceptable
for storage because of temperature and humidity variances.

Areas with water pipes in the ceiling can be used, if no other
spaces are available, but deflectors should be installed so that
any water that accumulates will run off away from the records.

Above all, the storage area should not be in a flood zone or
other area susceptible to natural disaster.

Permanent, historic, and vital records have
special storage considerations. Ideally, these records are stored
in a secure vault or, if appropriate, at the State Archives.
Records that should be duplicated or backed-up for protection
should be identified as needing special handling. Floods, fires,
and other natural disasters in West Virginia have already caused
many essential records to be lost forever.

Since office space is expensive and limited, only current and
frequently used records should be housed in an active office area.
Records that are accessed less often are sent to storage areas
where they can be retrieved quickly when needed.

Ideally, retention schedules specify when a records series
should be sent to storage. The terms "active" and "inactive" for
records indicate how frequently users reference a records series.
As records get older, they usually are needed less often.

Criteria to consider include:

Records series that are referred to more than once a month per
file drawer (or 2 cubic feet) are generally considered active, and
are kept in active office space.

Records series that are referred to less than one search per
file drawer per month generally can be sent to storage.

To check the reference rate of a group of records, a small
piece of paper is placed on each file drawer for a few months.
Tally marks are made on the sheet each time a file is pulled from
that drawer. The results usually surprise office employees. The
fact is 85 per cent of all records created today will never be
accessed again!

Records that are considered to be of historic value should be
placed in a special, secure and environmentally stable area.

Be uniform in size. Whenever possible, the standard one cubic
foot (15" x 12" x 10") size box with a separate lid should be used.
These fit compactly on shelves, are easily handled, and can hold
either letter-size or legal-size documents. One box will be needed
for every 14 inches of letter-size files and one box will be needed
for every 11 inches of legal-size files.

Have double walls and bottoms so they can be safely stacked and
reused.

Be made of acid-free cardboard for storing permanent and
long-term records (e.g. minutes, executive correspondence, certain
project files, etc.). Standard storage boxes, which are less
expensive, can be used for normal, nonpermanent records
storage.

Storage shelving units should:

Be sized to ensure the weight of the loaded shelves meets the
floor load capacity (the most common shelf size is 42" wide x 30"
or 32" deep, but heights do vary).

Be sturdy enough to hold boxes loaded with as much as 50 pounds
of paper.

Bottom shelves should keep boxes at least three inches off the
floor.

Enough space should be provided for the boxes to be pulled off
the shelves easily.

Where possible the shelving should be anchored to the floor and
to the wall. The vendor providing the shelving should be held
responsible that the leveling guides are adjusted properly, and the
shelving is stable enough to take the torque and weight of boxes
being retrieved and reshelved.

A sturdy and appropriately sized ladder should be provided so
that those who retrieve and reshelve boxes can maintain safe
leverage during the process.

IMPORTANT NOTES: Finding an area to serve as a storage area
for inactive records in a government office doesn't have to be
expensive or difficult. In fact, many offices without a budget for
inactive storage begin by simply boxing the records appropriately,
labeling them, and stacking them 4 high in a closet until shelving
can be purchased.

It is important to remember that ONLY records storage
boxes of the type described in this manual should be used. Boxes
that are cardboard imitations of four-drawer filing cabinets and
that hook together with metal struts, boxes that are 24" long and
that have cords that tie the top to the side of the box should
NEVER be used. They are too heavy to be picked up when
loaded with records, and if one is stacked on top of the other, the
bottom box is easily crushed.

Some methods of packing and stacking boxes are safer and more
efficient than others. We suggest that you follow these
recommendations for packing and stacking:

Letter-size files fit across the 12" side; legal-size fit
across the 15" side.

Records should be kept in their original file folders when they
are placed in boxes. However, permanent records should be placed in
acid-free folders and boxes. Hanging folders should be removed to
save space and prevent wear and tear on the boxes.

Boxes should be filled completely, but not packed tightly.
Tight packing makes removing files difficult. Room should be left
for missing files and a "charge-out" card inserted in the place
where those missing files would go.

Larger records and materials, such as maps and drawings,
require special handling and may require a separate storage system
and area.

Infrequently accessed records should be stored at the top or
bottom of shelves.

Boxes may be stored near the floor, but should be stacked on
pallets up to four boxes high and in rows.

Keeping track of all the contents of all the boxes in an
inactive storage area is simple. Four copies of the contents of
each box are made. One copy is attached with tape to the front of
the box, one copy is placed inside the box, one copy is kept in a
file in the office of origin, and one copy is filed by the
destruction date. Paper index cards can also be used to identify
the contents, or a computer software database or program can keep
track of the inactive records.

Any method used identifies the characteristics and location of
each box.

Boxes should be marked with their number and storage location.
Black markers can be used to write on labels, or printed labels can
also be used. Many boxes have a pre-printed area on one end. Box
labels are placed on the handle-end side of the box.

The contents in each box must share the same destruction date.
The objective is to discard the entire box of records when its
retention period is met, rather than to separate folders in a
box.

By entering box control information into a software word
processing or database program, boxes can be sorted according to
the following fields:

Box number. Each box is given a unique number, usually just the
next consecutive number in the storage system or a two-part number,
with the first part consisting of the last two digits of the year
the box was placed in storage. Note: Do not reuse numbers, even
after a box and its contents are destroyed.

Certain permanent, historic or archival records may be
transferred to the State Archives. To determine whether the records
are suitable for the State Archives, or to find more information
about how to store such materials in government offices, call the
State Archives at (304) 558-0230.

Transferring Records to a Commercial or Non-Commercial
Storage Facility

In West Virginia, there are very few commercial storage
facilities that meet all the state regulations and standards for
proper records management. Archive Services, Inc. (ASI) is under
contract with West Virginia state government to be the official
Records Center for all state agency records. It is not mandatory
that any facility be used as the inactive storage repository, but
it is mandatory that all offices keep a record of which files have
been transferred, where, when, and by whom.

Commercial Storage Facility Information

Archive Services, Inc. (ASI) provides record management and
storage to state agencies as well as to county and municipal
governments under state contract -- Rec. Mgt. 00. ASI may be
reached by calling (304)-346-8878 to request that an account be
opened under Rec. Mgt. 00. ASI will obtain the necessary
information to service the account and will forward record
transmittal and authorization forms to the proper person.

ASI will index and barcode each box, or each item where
appropriate, and will maintain a retention schedule for items to be
destroyed on predetermined dates. Once the retention date is
reached, ASI will automatically notify its customer (the county
office) that the retention period for the particular records is
over. ASI will request the office confirm in writing its desire to
destroy those records before destruction can proceed. It must be
noted that the office must obtain the approval to destroy the
records from the State Archives prior to the destruction of any
records.

ASI will provide each account with a full inventory on magnetic
disc or a hard copy showing box number, description of contents and
retention dates. Accounts may be broken down into sub-accounts by
category, departments, function, etc. ASI personnel are available
to assist in setting up numbering systems at no charge. New
material may be brought to ASI's facility at 1545 Hansford St.,
Charleston, WV 25311, or ASI will arrange to pickup records using
its vehicles. For services and charge rates check with State
Purchasing Division, 2019 Washington St., East, P.O. Box 50130,
Charleston, WV 25305-0130; Phone: (304) 558-2306.

State Archives should be contacted to ascertain if an office's
records are appropriate for a transfer. The phone number is (304)
558-0230, and the business hours are from 8 am-5 pm, Monday through
Friday.

NOTE: Records are required to be transferred as a condition
of complying with a records schedule, or having enduring historical
and research value.

Records must be in records storage boxes. Box lids must be flat
when closed. Overloaded boxes will not fit on the shelves at the
State Archives. Strapping tape should be applied to the bottoms of
boxes that appear to be weak. Ledger size books must be packaged
and labeled to identify individual volumes, and combined weight
should not exceed fifty pounds.

Organize the records in a logical sequence before boxing them,
and then number the boxes using a common ordering system (e.g., 1
of 12; 2 of 12; 3 of 12, etc., or A of A-E; B of A-E, etc.) by
writing the sequence on a piece of paper taped to the handle end of
each box and placing a copy of that sequence on the inside of the
box. Remove records from hanging folders before boxing them.
Hanging file folders make it difficult to close a box's lid.

A label should be firmly affixed to a small end (an end with a
handle hole) that details:

The name of the office that created the records

The name of the records in the box (e.g. minutes from
xyz, birth certificates from Logan County), as it would be stated
in a retention schedule, if applicable

The dates of the records (e.g. 1972-1975)

The record series number, as it is stated in a
retention schedule, if applicable

It is critical that the label information be correct in order to
prevent permanent records from being destroyed, or time-limited
records from being destroyed too early, and to facilitate location
and retrieval of records when needed.

Records with the same retention period should be put together
in a box. Permanent and non-permanent records should not be housed
in the same box. The State Archives does not accept non-permanent
records.

Records that may need to be reformatted should be filed into
separate boxes.

Care should be taken not to send non-record materials to the
State Archives. Blank forms, duplicate publications, or
publications that were not created by or for the office of origin
should not be sent.

A Request to Transfer to the State Archives Form should be
completed and sent to: